My Superlark original owner

[jpepper]

A neat thing happened today. An old neighbor of mine was talking to a friend at work and somehow the subject of supercharged Studebakers came up. My neighbor mentioned he new someone who has one. When he told his co-worker my name, the co-worker almost fell over. I drove over to their work place today at lunch time with the Lark to say hi. It was the first time Bob Babel (the original purchaser of my car as an 18 year old) saw the car or me since 1970. Here is a picture of us from today. Bob is now 71 (Bob is on the left).

Jim

[BobPalma]

Did you buy it directly from Bob, Jim? I thought there was an owner between the two of you, but maybe got my stories mixed up.

(I.e., I might have "short-circuited," to use contemporary dismissive parlance. ) BP

[289stude]

I have a 63 Super Red, Super Lark. Full Package, radio delete, Power Shift car. There were only 9 63 full package superlarks built tell us more about yours.

[StudeRich]

That '63 Lark Custom 2 Door looks Great with those Cragers and plain Steel, Black Wheels in back Jim!

In the 1960's that is how us Street Racers would usually do it, partly because not many could afford 4 Custom Wheels that did NOT make it go any faster, and the solid Steel were considered stronger for the "Torque" Wheels anyway.

[Bill Pressler]

289stude, I had been trying to find out some information on a Super Red '63 Lark Custom two-door sedan, black bucket seats, Powershift, and Skytop that was sold new in Hollidaysburg, PA (near Altoona). Your car sounds like it, except for no Skytop. I found the name of the original owner at the SNM archives, and found his address online, and wrote him. He replied that he was friends with the dealer but had no memory of owning such a car, which made me wonder about dealers maybe phonying-up sales info to make a quota or something. Or....the guy could have dementia!

[289stude]

Hey bill. Mine is a Daytona no sky top. Bought it from CA about 5 years ago. It's gonna be my next restoration when my Avanti is done.

[jpepper]

I bought my Superlark from Bob in March of 1967. I met Bob around 1964. He was my buddies older sister's fiance. They married and divorced by 1969. I worked on the car numerous times before I bought it. I went in the Army in June 1970. I lost track of him and did not see him again until yesterday.

The car is the first package SR R2 sedan. It is the first 1 of 7 custom (F-6) R2, 4-speed, SR F-6 cars. There were another 13 Regals (F-4) for a total of 20 package R2, 4-speed 2dr sedans painted SR. The car is wearing a 65 Dodge/Plymouth metallic red. In 1972 when I painted it in my mother's garage, I asked the paint shop to mix 63 Chrysler metallic red because it was close to Super Red which they did not have the formula for. They mixed the wrong color and I did not know that until it was painted. The paint is as I painted it 44 years ago. Fortunately I used Lacquer and sprayed it a little heavy. It is cracking and flaking in many areas on the car. I have used a plastic scraper and some rubbing compound to expose the original Super Red factory paint which has been out of daylight for over 44 years. That will be used for a computer color match. Attached is what it looks like.

[Colgate Studebaker]

Great to see your getting things done with it. Taking it for a ride on IDYSD? Bill

[289stude]

I bought my Superlark from Bob in March of 1967. I met Bob around 1964. He was my buddies older sister's fiance. They married and divorced by 1969. I worked on the car numerous times before I bought it. I went in the Army in June 1970. I lost track of him and did not see him again until yesterday.

The car is the first package SR R2 sedan. It is the first 1 of 7 custom (F-6) R2, 4-speed, SR F-6 cars. There were another 13 Regals (F-4) for a total of 20 package R2, 4-speed 2dr sedans painted SR. The car is wearing a 65 Dodge/Plymouth metallic red. In 1972 when I painted it in my mother's garage, I asked the paint shop to mix 63 Chrysler metallic red because it was close to Super Red which they did not have the formula for. They mixed the wrong color and I did not know that until it was painted. The paint is as I painted it 44 years ago. Fortunately I used Lacquer and sprayed it a little heavy. It is cracking and flaking in many areas on the car. I have used a plastic scraper and some rubbing compound to expose the original Super Red factory paint which has been out of daylight for over 44 years. That will be used for a computer color match. Attached is what it looks like.[ATTACH=CONFIG]57934[/ATTACH]

pretty sure Nels has the correct formula for the factory super red.

[SN-60]

I bought my Superlark from Bob in March of 1967. I met Bob around 1964. He was my buddies older sister's fiance. They married and divorced by 1969. I worked on the car numerous times before I bought it. I went in the Army in June 1970. I lost track of him and did not see him again until yesterday.

The car is the first package SR R2 sedan. It is the first 1 of 7 custom (F-6) R2, 4-speed, SR F-6 cars. There were another 13 Regals (F-4) for a total of 20 package R2, 4-speed 2dr sedans painted SR. The car is wearing a 65 Dodge/Plymouth metallic red. In 1972 when I painted it in my mother's garage, I asked the paint shop to mix 63 Chrysler metallic red because it was close to Super Red which they did not have the formula for. They mixed the wrong color and I did not know that until it was painted. The paint is as I painted it 44 years ago. Fortunately I used Lacquer and sprayed it a little heavy. It is cracking and flaking in many areas on the car. I have used a plastic scraper and some rubbing compound to expose the original Super Red factory paint which has been out of daylight for over 44 years. That will be used for a computer color match. Attached is what it looks like.[ATTACH=CONFIG]57934[/ATTACH]

Great story!....The Lark will look nice painted P-6325 (Super Red) again!

[Milaca]

He was only 18 when he purchased a new, high-performance car? Wow!
When I was 18, I bought a well-used, rusty, underpowered 6-cylinder base-model 1963 Lark 4-door in 1989. This was during my senior year of high school, and I welded patches to cover the rust holes, applied body filler to smooth things out, and had an uncle spray-on a new coat of enamel just prior to my graduation. And I was happy with it! I can't imagine how happy I would have been with a 1963 SuperLark like the one above!
I am currently working on a 1963 Daytona hardtop, and installing a 259 with a 4-speed. Perhaps I will try to relive my senior year of high school when I have it completed.

[swvalcon]

James Great looking car and cool story. Good thing you posted who was who because we sure couldn't have come up with that on our own. Say Brent I ran into your dad at the st cloud swap meet a couple weeks ago. Steve

[8E45E]

I am currently working on a 1963 Daytona hardtop, and installing a 259 with a 4-speed. Perhaps I will try to relive my senior year of high school when I have it completed.

Drive it to your next reunion!!

Craig

[jpepper]

Restoration is planned for next year. I will drive it until the threat of snow here.

[Colgate Studebaker]

Jim that could be 2 weeks from now!!!!! That's why I moved down here. Bill